Walking-dredge



v. e. AImERsoN.

WALKING DREDGE. APPLICATION FILED IAN. 26, I9l8.

Patented June 22', 1920.

m Nm N um mw my N .11 f "m Y EN 1 a .m @I n NNN VI G. ANDERSON.

WALKING DREDGE.

I t APPLICATION FILED IAN. 26, 1918. 22

s SHEETS-SHEET 2.

V. G. ANDERSON.

WALKING DREDGE.

APPL|CATI0N FILED 1AN.26, 1918.

1 ,344, 57 1 Patented June 22, 1920.

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UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE.

VINCENT G. ANDERSON, 0F KENOSI-IAQWISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T0 FREDERICK C. AUSTIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WALKING-DREI) GE.

Application led January 26, 1918.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, VINCENT Gr. ANDER- soN, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Kenosha, county of Kenosha, and State of Visconsin, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Walking-Dredges, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines having apparatus for periodically shifting the body of the machine forward, along the ground, in a manner that is commonly employed in connection with excavating machines and other heavy structures or bodies, the arrangement involving the old and well known principle of raising the body of the machine either partially or entirely orf the ground, so that it may be pushed forward on the supporting apparatus, and of then lowering the body onto the ground and therafter. moving the supporting apparatus forward, whereby the excavator or other heavy body is periodically moved forward, the auxiliary frame or supporting apparatus, which is ordinarily much lighter, being moved forward while the excavator or other machine is standing still.

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved shifting or propelling apparatus of the foregoing general character.

A special object is to provide novel and improved instrumentalities for raising the excavator or other heavy body from the ground when it is to be moved forward.

Another object is to provide an improved construction and arrangement whereby the use of certain features of construction heretofore considered necessary or desirable will be obviated.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of construction and combinations tending to increase the general efhciency and desirability of a shifting or propelling apparatus of this particular character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends, the invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of an excavator body having a shifting apparatus embodying the principles of the invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of said apparatus.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 22, 1920. Serial No. 213,846.

F ig. 3 is a plan of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4l Ais an enlarged transverse section of a portion of said structure.

F 1g. 5 is an enlarged detail view of one of the bell-crank devices employed for lifting the excavator or other body from the ground.

ris thusl illustrated, the invention comprises a frame or body structure 1 of any suitable known or approved character, provided with front shoes or runners 2 and rear shoes or runners 3, one at each corner of the body frame, by which the excavator or other heavy structure is supported on the ground. |The sides of lsaid body frame are provided with parallel sills 4, the members of each pair being spaced apart. The shifting apparatus comprises a shoe or runner 5 provided with front and rear uprights 6 and 7 connected together at their upper ends by longitudinal members S or in any suitable manner. The upright 6 is preferably double, and has pivoted therein a bell-crank member 9, the pivot 10 thereof being located at a suitable point on said upright. This bellcrank is triangular in shape, its upper corner being provided with a sheave 11, and its lower outer corner being provided with a roller 12 to engage the underside of the body frame 1, thereby to lift the latter and to provide a support on which the same may be pushed forward. In a similar way, the upright 7 is provided with a bell-crank member 13 which is pivoted at 14 and provided at its upper end with a sheave 15 and at its lower corner with a roller 16 to engage the underside of the body frame. A cable 17 has one end fastened to the bell-crank 9 at 18, and extends around the sheave 15, then around the sheave 11, then downward and under the sheave 19 on the shoe or runner 5, then rearward and around the sheave 20 on the body frame, around the sheave 21 on said body frame, around the movable sheave or pulley 22, then around the sheaves 23 and 21 on the body frame, and then downward and under the sheave 19 at the other side of the machine, upward and over the sheave 11 at this other side of the machine, then around the other sheave 15 and back to the fastening point 18 at this opposite side of the machine; for, it will be seen that the uprights 6 and 7 and the bell-cranks and sheaves are duplicated at the other side of the machine,

22 is connected with a block 25 for pulling it toward Vthe front end 'of the machinef This is accomplished by meansof a-eable Y which is fastened to the front end of the body frame at 26, then passes around the sheave 27 on the block 25, then back and around the sheave 28 on the frontend of the bodyframe, then rearward again around the sheave 29 on the block 25, and then forward tothe winding-drum 30, which latter may be operated in any suitable or desired manner. When this drum is operated, it is obvious that thecable 31, which is wound thereon, and which extends around the sheaves 27, 28 and 25,v will be tightened, and this in turn will tighten the cable 17, so Vthat the latter will pull the bell-cranks 9 and 13 toward each other, `at both sides of the machine, thus moving the rollers 12 and 16 upward, and thereby lifting the body frame 1 from the ground, either partially or entirely, depending upon the position of theshifting apparatus longitudinally of the body frame. This, it will be seen, is accomplished by a very powerful combination of bell-cranks and; sheaves, so that the weight isonly imparted to the uprights 6 and 7 throughthe medium of the pivots 10 and 14. At the same time, the tightening of the cable 17'exerts a forward pull on the body frame 1, so that the latter is pushed for-V ward on the rollers 12 and 16, to the desired extent, and the cable 17 is then released suiliciently t0 permit the shoes 2 and to again rest firmly on the ground,thereby to support the entire weight of the body frame of the excavator or other machine.

New, to move the auxiliary frames or shifting apparatus forward so that the shoes 5 will be as close to the forward end latterV may be of any suitable character.

.Said cable 32 then extends around the sheaves 38 and 39 on the front end of the body frame 1, then has its other end fastened at 40 to the front end of the other shoe 5, whereby the shoes 5 are attached to opposite ends of this cable. The block 7 has a sheave 4 1, and a cable 42 has one end fastened t0 Vthis block. Said cable 42 then passes around the sheave 43 at the rear end of the body frame 1 and then forward and around the sheave 41, and then rearward again to a point where it is wound upon the drum 44, which latter maybe operated in any suitable manner. Vith this Varrangement, the operation of the drum 44 tightens the cable 42v and this tightens the cable 32,

thus exerting a forward pull on the front ends of the runners 5, thereby causingpthe latter to moveforward, `it-being Vunderstood that at thistime the shoes-2 and 3 are supporting the entire weight of the body frame 1, sothat the shoes 5 only support the weight of the auxiliary frames or'shiftingV apparatus.k 'l`hel-cable`32 is preferably provided vwith extensions 45 and V46 which extend, respectively, under vthe sheaves 47 and 48 on the shoes 5, and which have their ends attached to the arms 49 vand 50 on the bell` crank members. vlithV this arrangement, the initial pull on the cable 32, serves to pull the bell-crank members 9 and 13 into their' normal positions, so that their upper ends moveY away frompeach other, thereby to place these members inl condition for Vopera-Y tion to lift the body frame, after the shoes 5 have been shifted forward. As soon as the connections 45 and 46 have tilted the bell-cranks 9 and 13 abouttheir axes, to a suflieient extent, the cable 32 then exerts `a forward pull on the front ends of thev shoes 5, thereby to shift the latter forward in the desired manner.

Thus it will be seen that the body frame 1 vment shown the body frame 1 canV be entirely supportedfin this way while moving forward, inasmuch as ythe rollers 12and 16 are some distance apart. Thus the body frame is lifted by bell-crank levers, through the medium of sheaves and cables, and these bell-crank levers are pivoted directly on the auxiliary frames composed of the uprights 6 and 7, so that no weight isimposed on the auxiliary frames above these pivots.

As a mattei' of further and special improvement, the shoes 5 are vpreferably provided with longitudinal pivots 51, inV the lower ends of the uprights-6 'and 7, so that each shoeis adapted to tilt about a longitudinal axis, thereby enabling it to accommodate itself to sloping or uneven surfaces of the ground. In the same way, the shoes 2 and 3 have longitudinal pivots 52 by which they tilt about longitudinal axes, and in addition each shoe has a transverse pivot 53, so that each shoe 2 or 3 can tilt downward at its rear end, and upward at its front end, when the frame 1 is raised from the ground, and while the heavy body structure is slidingforward. For this purpose,'each leg 54 of the body frame, one -at each corner of the rectangular frame, has a rounded end portion 55, which rests in a socket in the shoe, so that the pivots 52 and 53 do not sustain the weight of the body frame. When the rear ends ofthe shoes 2 and 3 'tilt downward these rounded end portions 55 are disengaged from said sockets, as they move downward a distance with the shoes or runners. These shoes 2 and 3 can accommodate themselves to uneven ground surfaces, either transversely or longitudinally, and thus they are not liable to be broken or injured by being compelled to rest on one end or one side edge thereof, which might occur if these shoes or runners were rigid with the legs 511 at the corners of the body frame. Also, the capacity for tilting motion about longitudinal axes serves to prevent the shoes or runners 5 from being broken or injured, which might happen if these shoes or runners were made rigid with the uprights 6 and 7, for in such case an uneven ground surface might throw the entire weight onto one side edge of either runner, and thus cause strain and breakage thereof. The construction employed, as shown and described, prevents the load strain from being imposed on the pivots 52 and 53, in the manner ex-` plained.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a shifting apparatus forexcavators or other heavy machines, the combination of a main body frame provided with means for supporting it on the ground, an auxiliary frame provided with means for supporting it on the ground, a bell-crank device pivoted on the auxiliary frame and provided with means for engaging the main body frame, means to operate said bellcrank device to lift the body frame, and to move the body frame forward when thus lifted, and means to move said auxiliary frame forward while the main body frame. is standing still. 2. A structure as specified in claim 1, said means for operating the bell-crank device comprising a sheave on said device, a cable extending around said sheave, another bellcranlr device pivoted on said auxiliary frame and provided with a sheave to engage said cable, sheaves supported on the main body frame to engage said cable, and a winding-drum on the main body frame to operate said cable.

3. structure as specified in claim 1, said means for operating said bell-crank device including a cable connected thereto, sheaves on the main body frame to engage said cable, and a winding-drinn on the main body frame to operate said cable.

4. A structure as specified in claim 1, said means for operating said bell-crank device including a cable, a sheave on the supportmeans of the auxiliary frame to engage said cable, one or more sheaves on the main body frame to engage said cable, and means on the main body frame to operate said cable.

5. A structure as specified in claim 1, said means for moving the auxiliary frame forward comprising a connection to control said bell-crank device in order that the means for operating said bell-crank device may thereby be restored to condition for operation to raiseV the body frame after the auxiliary frame is shifted forward.

6. In a shifting apparatus for excavators or other heavy machines, the combination of a pair of bell-crank devices, a main body frame to be lifted by said bell-crank devices, an auxiliary frame to support said bellcrank devices, rollers on said bell-crank devices to support said main body frame, sheaves on said bell-crank devices, a cable for connecting and operating said bellcrank devices, so that the main body frame will be 'raised and supported by the auxil- .iary frame entirely through the medium of the pivots of said bell-crank devices thereon, and means on the main body frame for operating said cable to lift and shift the main body frame forward on said rollers.

7. In a shifting apparatus for excavators or other heavy machines, a main body frame provided with shoes to rest on the ground, a longitudinal pivot for each shoe, a transverse pivot for each shoe, whereby each shoe may adjust itself on the ground, and means for raising said body frame and shoes from the ground, in combination with means to prevent the load strain from being imposed on said pivot.

8. In a shifting apparatus for excavator or other heavy machines, a main body frame to be'shifted forward from time to time, an auxiliary frame to support the main body frame while being thus shifted, means to lift the body frame from the ground, a shoe to support the auxiliary frame on the ground, a longitudinal pivot for said shoe, whereby said shoe may tilt about a longitudinal axis, and means for shifting the auxiliary frame forward, in combination with means to prevent the load strain from being imposed on said pivot.

9. In a machine of the class described, having sliding shoes for the support thereof, the combination of longitudinal pivots for said shoes, and means to prevent the load strains from being imposed on said pivots.

10. In a machine of the class described, having sliding shoes for the support thereof, the combination of transverse pivots for said shoes, and means to prevent the load strains from being imposed on said pivots.

Signed by me at Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, this ninth day of January, 1918.

VINCENT (i. ANDERSON. 

